Poker
Tips and Strategies
Poker is all about percantage play and your own strategy.
Naturally a little luck comes into it, but if you keep
to the basic strategy, you can turn even the toughest
table into your favourite. Below are a few basic tips
and strategies that will get you going and make sure that
you do not make a fool of yourslef at a table. Once you
have mastered these, you will develop your own strategy
with which you feel comfortable.
1. When you have a useless hand, fold - fast.
2. According to popular opinion among the experts,
you should make sur ethat you have at least 50 times the
table limit available before you start. Pretending to
be a big time player will only get you into trouble.
3. When you are at a stage where you are holding
the unbeatable hand, make sure that your opponents pay
dearly to see it.
4. The odds of improving your hand on the draw
are about even, so keep it in mind that the first 5/7
cards that you receive will be the foundation of what
you have to play with. Build your strategy from there
and not on the chance of improving your hand.
5. Don't overestimate yourself and do not try
and beat the stronger players at the table by taking risks
and losing sight of the other aspects of your game. Stick
with your strategy as long as you can and play your own
game. Taking unnecessary risks just to "prove a point"
will lose you a ton of money if you are not lucky and
if you do beat them on the odd occasion, it may not be
worth all the effort.
6. Don't try and impress people by getting the
highest hand. Your aim is to beat the other players. Play
wisely and keep them guessing. Remember, you scare them
enough, then the pot is yours.
7. If you can't beat the other hands, don't join
them, fold and live to play another day. The table will
always be ready when you are.
8. Don't hold four cards of an inside straight—an
inside straight is one where the potential straight can
be completed only one way. An outside straight is one
that can be completed in two ways and so is twice as likely
to be successful. The only exception to this rule is an
ace-high straight.
9. Don't hold three cards of a straight except
for K-Q-J.
10. Don't hold three cards of a flush- do not
hold three cards of the same suit unless it is also a
potential straight flush.
11. Don't hold a kicker with any pair or with
three of a kind- a kicker is a single high card (J,Q,K,A)
that has the potential to turn into a winning pair.
12. The pair or three of a kind should always
be played and the kicker discarded.
